Cestodes (adult forms)
Parasites |
Clinical features/Laboratory |
Treatment |
Transmission/Prevention |
---|---|---|---|
Taeniasis |
Often asymptomatic Segments expelled in the stools, sometimes gastrointestinal disturbances (epigastric or abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea) Laboratory: eggs in stools or collected from perianal skin (scotch tape method), segments in stools |
praziquantel PO
(a)
Citation
a.
Praziquantel may be administered to pregnant women with T. solium taeniasis. For the other indications, treatment can usually be deferred until after delivery.
|
Transmission by eating raw or under-cooked meat:
Prevention:
|
Diphyllobothriasis |
Often asymptomatic In the event of heavy infection: mild gastrointestinal disturbances, anaemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency associated with (rare) neurological sequelae Laboratory: eggs in stools |
praziquantel PO
(a)
Citation
a.
Praziquantel may be administered to pregnant women with T. solium taeniasis. For the other indications, treatment can usually be deferred until after delivery.
If anaemia: vitamin B12 + folic acid |
Transmission by eating raw or under- cooked freshwater fish Prevention:
|
Hymenolepiasis |
Often asymptomatic In the event of heavy infection: gastrointestinal disturbances (epigastric pain) Laboratory: eggs in stools |
praziquantel PO
(a)
Citation
a.
Praziquantel may be administered to pregnant women with T. solium taeniasis. For the other indications, treatment can usually be deferred until after delivery.
|
Transmission by faecal-oral route or auto-infection Prevention:
|
Cestodes (larvae)
Parasites |
Clinical features/Laboratory |
Treatment |
Transmission/Prevention |
---|---|---|---|
Cysticercosis |
Laboratory: hypereosinophilia in blood and cerebrospinal fluid |
Neurological and ocular cysticercosis should be managed in specialized facilities. |
Transmission by eating food contaminated with T. solium eggs or auto-infection Prevention:
|
Hydatid cyst |
Cysts located in the liver (60% of cases); lungs (30% of cases), and, less frequently, in other sites including the brain. Long asymptomatic period. The cyst becomes symptomatic when complications develop (biliary obstruction; anaphylactic shock in the event of rupture into peritoneal cavity, vessels or an organ; febrile painful jaundice in the event of rupture into the biliary tree, etc.). |
First-line treatment: surgical excision albendazole PO
(b)
Citation
b.
Albendazole is contra-indicated during the first trimester of pregnancy.
is useful in addition to, or instead of, surgery: Treatment duration: |
Transmission:
Prevention:
|